Michael Jordan’s two-word fax was sent 30 years ago – NBC Sports Philadelphia

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It was long before LeBron James went on national television to say he was taking his talents to South Beach. Long before Kobe Bryant announced his retirement in an essay published on The Players Tribune. Long before Luka Doncic broke social media when news of his trade was tweeted.

Long before the existence of Twitter and TikTok, before the daily use of websites and e-mails, before the reliance on iPhones and Wi-Fi, Michael Jordan sent a fax 30 years ago today.

“I’m back,” it said.

The brevity of the two-word statement announcing his return to the Chicago Bulls after a 17-month retirement, and the now antiquated manner in which it was delivered, add to the legend of what transpired after the fax was sent. And, of course, after the confirmation page was received.

To active NBA players, the fax machine is as foreign as the peach basket. 

And for kids out there who have never dialed anything other than the touch screen of an iPhone, Jordan is to LeBron what fax is to e-mail.

Jordan’s fax is perhaps the most famous in the device’s history. And the day after it was sent, he was back on the court in an NBA game.

Jordan had unexpectedly retired in October of 1993 at the age of 30, just months after he helped lead the Bulls to their third consecutive championship. Citing a lack of motivation — and still mourning the death of his father James, who was murdered that July — Jordan announced that he would pursue a baseball career.

Jordan went on to play 127 games with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, hitting .202 with three home runs and 51 RBIs.

Michael Jordan of the Birmingham Barons throws during an August 1994 game against the Memphis Chicks in Alabama. (Photo by Jim Gund/Getty Images)

The Bulls, in the first season of the post-Jordan era, won just two fewer games in the regular season than the year prior at 55-27. Scottie Pippen averaged a career-best 22.0 points per game, finishing third in MVP voting. The Bulls swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round and then pushed the New York Knicks to the limit in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with a Game 7 road loss…

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Publish date : 2025-03-18 09:02:00

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